Content uploaded by Jagdish N. Sheth
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Jagdish N. Sheth on Jan 02, 2014
Content may be subject to copyright.
Consumer Resistance to Innovations: The Marketing Problem and Its Solutions
Abstract
The article explains why customers resist innovations even though they are considered necessary and desirable. The major barriers which create customer resistance to innovations have been identified and marketing strategies to overcome these barriers have been suggested. Primarily because most business corporations are faced with a very high rate of new product failure, only a small fraction of the new product Ideas chosen for market development are commercially successful. One of the major causes for market failure of innovations is the resistance they encounter from consumers. Yet, little research has been done on this subject. Most studies have focused on successful innovations and their rate of diffusion through the market. Some marketing scholars have emphasized the value of studying innovation resistance. However, except for a few studies, the concept remains neglected. First, an innovation may create a high degree of change in the consumers' day-to-day existence and disrupt their established routines. For example, the videotex, which offers in-home shopping services, when initially in France, met with high consumer resistance because of the changes it created in shopping behavior.
... The Innovation resistance theory (IRT) is developed by Ram and Sheth (1989). The determinant factors of this IRT are the usage barrier, value barrier, risk barrier, ttraditional barrier, and image barrier. ...
... The traditional barrier is the barrier to use innovative technology when users feel that it is contrary to norms, traditions, habits, and behaviors in their family or society. Then, the image barrier is a negative image of the innovation or technology, so people resist using it (Ram and Sheth 1989). A meta-analysis by Leong et al. (2021) shows that the tradition barrier is the strongest barrier to innovation resistance in many previous studies. ...
... The research instrument for the Behavioral intention variable was adapted from a questionnaire developed by Venkatesh (2003). The study measures Usage Barrier, Value Barrier, Risk Barrier, Traditional Barrier, and Image Barrier, and Innovation resistance variables by adapting a questionnaire developed by Ram and Sheth (1989). ...
Digital fishery platform will be essential to cut the supply chain of seafood products in Indonesia, but the resistance of the innovation using still be a problem in a developing country, for example, in Indonesia. This study investigates the determinant factors of innovation resistance and the impact of innovation resistance on behavior intention to use the digital fishery platform. The questionnaire is shared online. The 393 samples are collected and used. It consists of 120 samples (31 percent) from DKI Jakarta province, 151 samples (38 percent) from Banten province, and 89 samples (23 percent) from West Java province, and 33 samples from other provinces (8 percent). The results are image, risk, traditional, and value barriers influence innovation resistance significantly, but use barrier does not. The image, risk, traditional, and value barriers are also influencing behavior intention mediated by innovation resistance. This study's original is the descriptive analysis shows that it disagrees with innovation resistance and its factors questionnaire and agrees with the behavior intention questionnaire. The conclusion is people do not resist, and there are no barriers to use the digital fishery platform; otherwise, people have the intention to use it. So the platform can be created, and it is hoped can cut the seafood supply chain and increase fish consumption in Indonesia.
... Consumer resistance refers to the resistance offered by consumers, manifested in behaviours such as opposition, postponement and rejection (Szmigin & Foxall, 1998). Consumer resistance is often the main issue for an innovation's slow diffusion or failure (Ram & Sheth, 1989). Only when consumer resistance is overcome can the process of innovation adoption and diffusion be accelerated (Ram, 1987). ...
... (2) Do these barriers influence consumer resistance to service robots in hotel frontdesk service? To answer these research questions, this study used a mixed-methods approach, which was encouraged by a recent systematic review on consumer innovation resistance (Huang, Jin, & Coghlan, 2021) to advance the seminal work of Ram and Sheth (1989) in this area. The study advances innovation resistance and hospitality literature by identifying new barriers inhibiting consumers from using service robots. ...
... Despite the fact that negative consumer responses keep emerging constantly, only a few studies have focused predominantly on consumer resistance to robots. For instance, Graaf et al. (2017) investigated the reasons against home robots qualitatively, while in the same context Chiu, Lai, and Chu (2020) analysed the importance of five barriers based on Ram and Sheth (1989) model using the importance performance analysis method. Moreover, Malodia, Kaur, Ractham, Sakashita, and Dhir (2022) identified the antecedents (i.e. ...
The diffusion of service robots, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology, at the hotel front desk is facing challenges. Drawing on innovation resistance literature, this study investigates consumer resistance to hotel front-desk service robots by developing a service robot resistance model. A mixed-methods design was used involving qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys. The results identified eight barriers to using service robots that can be categorised as functional, social interaction, and aesthetic barriers. Consumer resistance occurs in response to the risk of malfunction, complexity, usage barrier, lack of warmth, and unattractive appearance, whereas flexibility barrier, communication barrier and stiff kinesics have no statistically significant effect. This study contributes to innovation resistance research and provides guidance for the adoption and diffusion of service robots in the hospitality and tourism industry.
... Previous literature suggests that user resistance intention is usually the delayed adoption of any service or product (Hosseini et al., 2016). Innovations have the potential to disrupt current lifestyles and fundamentally change the status quo, making resistance a natural reaction towards innovation (Ram and Sheth, 1989). Therefore, most innovations must go through the phase of resistance to be successful (Ram and Sheth, 1989). ...
... Innovations have the potential to disrupt current lifestyles and fundamentally change the status quo, making resistance a natural reaction towards innovation (Ram and Sheth, 1989). Therefore, most innovations must go through the phase of resistance to be successful (Ram and Sheth, 1989). It is essential for businesses providing innovative technologies to understand the phenomenon of innovation resistance as it is a possible determinant of acceptance of the technology in their marketplaces (Kaur et al., 2020). ...
... The IRT provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the resistance behaviour of users towards innovation and technology (Ram and Sheth, 1989). In this context, innovation resistance may be characterised as behaviour arising from logical thinking and decision-making about the adoption and application of innovation due to the changes to the current status quo and established belief system (Kaur et al., 2020;Sadiq et al., 2021). ...
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of usage, value, tradition, risk, compatibility and complexity barriers on user resistance to mobile bookkeeping applications. Furthermore, it also explores how the relationship between these barriers and user resistance is mediated by technostress. Finally, the authors analysed the moderating impact of self-efficacy on the mediating effect of technostress between barriers and user resistance.
Design/methodology/approach
Structured questionnaires were used to obtain data from 325 respondents. A structural equation modelling technique was used to investigate the hypotheses.
Findings
The findings suggest that usage, risk and tradition barrier has a significantly positive effect on user resistance intention. Also, results suggested that technostress plays an important role in framing customers’ resistance intention. Finally, the mediation effect of technostress between risk barrier and user resistance is higher for users having low levels of self-efficacy compared with users with high levels of self-efficacy.
Originality/value
The present research enriches the existing literature, especially in the field of mobile bookkeeping applications, user resistance, technostress and innovation resistance theory. It would help bookkeeping application developers design their apps, keeping the major user barriers in mind.
... The present study fills this gap by investigating customers' disengagement on online community platforms employing the IRT framework as a theoretical foundation. Innovation resistance theory highlights the psychological and functional barriers, namely, usage barrier, value barrier, risk barrier, image barrier, and traditional barrier (Ram and Sheth 1989). Moreover, innovation challenges individuals to change their status quo, triggering resistance among individuals against the new technological product or service (Hew et al. 2019). ...
... The innovation resistance theory (IRT) provides a comprehensive framework for understanding customers' resistance to innovations (Chakraborty et al. 2022;Friedman and Ormiston 2022;Ram and Sheth 1989). Also, resistance in the context of innovation can be explained as behavioural intention arising from logical reasoning and judgement towards adopting and applying new technology due to the potential changes caused by adjustments to the existing status quo and diversion from the current value system (Hew et al. 2019). ...
This study examines the dark side of online communities, especially barriers to customer engagement in online communities. A total of 301 responses from online community members were collected to examine the proposed hypotheses based on the Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT). The study also examines the mediating effect of negative anticipated emotions and moderating effect of association tenure and customer prior attitude. The findings suggest that performance, information overload, and social recognition barriers positively impact the users’ disengagement intention towards the online community. The negative anticipated emotions mediate the association between barriers and customer disengagement. Also, tenure was found to be a crucial moderator. The study contributes to the dark side of online community literature and suggests marketers how to reduce customer disengagement in online communities.
... The present study fills this gap by investigating customers' disengagement on online community platforms employing the IRT framework as a theoretical foundation. Innovation resistance theory highlights the psychological and functional barriers, namely, usage barrier, value barrier, risk barrier, image barrier, and traditional barrier (Ram and Sheth 1989). Moreover, innovation challenges individuals to change their status quo, triggering resistance among individuals against the new technological product or service (Hew et al. 2019). ...
... The innovation resistance theory (IRT) provides a comprehensive framework for understanding customers' resistance to innovations (Chakraborty et al. 2022;Friedman and Ormiston 2022;Ram and Sheth 1989). Also, resistance in the context of innovation can be explained as behavioural intention arising from logical reasoning and judgement towards adopting and applying new technology due to the potential changes caused by adjustments to the existing status quo and diversion from the current value system (Hew et al. 2019). ...
This study examines the dark side of online communities, especially barriers to customer engagement in online communities. A total of 301 responses from online community members were collected to examine the proposed hypotheses based on the Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT). The study also examines the mediating effect of negative anticipated emotions and moderating effect of association tenure and customer prior attitude. The findings suggest that performance, information overload, and social recognition barriers positively impact the users' disengagement intention towards the online community. The negative anticipated emotions mediate the association between barriers and customer disengagement. Also, tenure was found to be a crucial moderator. The study contributes to the dark side of online community literature and suggests marketers how to reduce customer disengagement in online communities.
... When these exams were graded blindly like regular class assignments, ChatGPT's performance was average, comparable to a C + student. This mediocre performance may result in low intentions to use the technology, and according to Ram & Sheth (1989), it can be considered resistance to technology acceptance and adoption. ...
OpenAI's ChatGPT, an advanced AI-driven language model, is experiencing rapid adoption, with 100 million users in just three months. This study, involving 288 university students, aims to identify factors determining students' intentions to use ChatGPT in higher education, using Rogers' perceived theory of attributes as a framework. The study examines five factors influencing ChatGPT adoption: Relative Advantage, Compatibility, Ease of Use, Observability, and Trialability. Results indicate that five factors significantly influenced ChatGPT adoption. Students view it as innovative, compatible, and user-friendly. Students view ChatGPT as an innovative resource, enabling the independent pursuit of educational goals. Consequently, the benefits provided by ChatGPT in education motivate students to utilize the tool. The study's gender-based analysis reveals that male students prioritize compatibility, ease of use, and observability, while female students prefer the ease of use, compatibility, relative advantage, and trialability in ChatGPT adoption. Our study presents a sentiment analysis approach utilizing transfer learning and K-means, considering the impact of personal bias on expressed opinions. While the K-means algorithm can create distinct clusters (Neutral, Negative, and Positive), the accuracy demonstrates a bias towards the male gender. Understanding adopter categories, such as innovators and early adopters, can help strategize the successful diffusion of innovations like ChatGPT to different segments of society. However, its use in academia raises ethical concerns, such as diminished creativity and academic integrity violations. Similar to social media platforms' rapid diffusion, ChatGPT has the potential to transform communication and information-sharing. Factors like ease of use, accessibility, and connection capabilities contribute to both innovations' appeal. Analyzing social media platforms' diffusion can offer insights into ChatGPT's potential adoption trajectory.
... As mentioned previously, active innovation resistance occurs in the context of a deliberate, conscious evaluation of a new product with regard to its features and their consistency with the values, goals, expectations, or beliefs of a consumer. Psychological barriers arise when a consumer's beliefs conflict with an aspect of the product (Kleijnen et al., 2009), while functional barriers occur when consumers perceive that an innovation will not meet certain expectations (Sundaresan Ram & Sheth, 1989). Joachim, Spieth, and Heidenreich (2017) provide an empirical validation of the active resistance typology developed by Talke and Heidenreich (2014), who identified nine functional and eight psychological barriers present in the literature. ...
We utilize the concept of implicit theories, or individuals' lay beliefs about the malleability of human attributes, to illustrate how certain individuals can be dispositionally poised to resist (or seek) new and innovative products. We find that entity theorists, or those who believe in the fixedness of human traits, are relatively more likely to resist innovative new products, while incremental theorists, or those who believe in the malleability of human traits, are relatively more likely to seek out new products. We find this effect is bound by the perceived learning cost of the innovative product-such that low perceived learning costs reduce the differences in evaluations of new products between entity and incremental theorists. Several potential mechanisms for the effect are explored-most notably, the roles of fear of negative evaluation, negative effort beliefs, and need for cognition. Finally, we discuss theoretical and managerial implications and suggest avenues for future research.
Purpose
This study aims to explore the adoption behaviour of consumers towards innovative technology products and services (ITPS).
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews was conducted with 47 respondents. Their lived experiences across 50+ ITPS were studied. A grounded theory approach was used to develop a theory with reference to consumer adoption of ITPS.
Findings
Themes emerged across the adoption process, such as triggers for adoption (pressing need, making life more pleasurable, urge to acquire and forced initiation); hesitancies faced by consumers during evaluation (value alignment, utilization, ecosystem, risks with new technology and price); and factors that help in overcoming the hesitancies (word of mouth, de-risking schemes and self-devised strategies).
Practical implications
Innovators must understand customer triggers and design offerings that activate the same – addressing a pressing need or making lives more pleasurable. Users driven purely by an urge to acquire can be a source of early word of mouth for radical innovations. Innovations must be designed and communicated to minimize hesitancies. Mitigating schemes such as equated monthly installment and return policy can be offered to empower customers to overcome hesitancies. Factors such as price, risk, beliefs, traditions and nationalistic values assume importance, specifically in an emerging economy.
Originality/value
This study based on grounded theory keeps the user at the centre and explains the innovation adoption phenomenon for a wide variety of 50+ ITPS in the context of an emerging economy.
This study intended to identify the barriers that inhibit the adoption of online dating apps (ODAs). It applied innovation resistance theory, with attitude being used as a moderator. A sample of 440 responses from ODAs users was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The three barriers of risk, usage, and tradition have a significant negative influence on the adoption intention of ODAs. Attitude was found to moderate the association between the usage barrier and adoption intention, whereas attitude did not moderate the association between the risk barrier and adoption intention or that between the tradition barrier and adoption intention. Age, gender, income, educational qualification, and household size were used as control variables. The study contributes to the current body of knowledge by identifying the barriers that influence the adoption intention of ODAs. Practical implications for the professionals and firms engaged in ODAs, as well as theoretical contributions, demonstrate the benefits of the study.
The concept of consumer ethnocentrism is introduced and a corresponding measure, the CETSCALE, is formulated and validated. Four separate studies provide support for the CETSCALE's reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. A series of nomological validity tests show consumer ethnocentrism to be moderately predictive of theoretically related constructs.
New Product Management for the 1980's, Chicago: Booz
- Booz
- Allen
- Hamilton
- Inc
Booz, Allen and Hamilton, Inc., New Product Management for the 1980's, Chicago: Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Inc., 1982.
Does Patriotism Have any Marketing Value—Exploratory Findings for the 'Crafted with Pride in U
- Daser
- Sayeste
- J Havva
- Meric
Daser, Sayeste, and Havva J. Meric, "Does Patriotism Have any Marketing Value—Exploratory Findings for the 'Crafted with Pride in U.S.A. Campaign,"' in Advances in Consumer Research 14, ed. Melanie Wallendorf and Paul Anderson. Toronto, Canada: Association for Consumer Research, 1986, 536-537.
Resistance to New Products
- Finn
- Adam
- N Jagdish
- Sheth
Finn, Adam, and Jagdish N. Sheth, "Resistance to New Products," Working Paper, 1984, University of Alberta.
Marketing Strategies to Overcome Innovation Resistance: A Laboratory Experiment
- S Ram
Ram, S., "Marketing Strategies to Overcome Innovation Resistance: A Laboratory Experiment," Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1985.
Innovative Behavior and Communication
- Robertson
- Thomas
Robertson, Thomas, Innovative Behavior and Communication. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1971.
Diffusion of Innovations
- Rogers
- Everett
Rogers, Everett M., Diffusion of Innovations. New York: The Free Press, 1962.
Consumer Behavior: Basic Findings and Management Implications
- Zaltman
- Gerald
Zaltman, Gerald, and Melanie Wallendorf, Consumer Behavior: Basic Findings and Management Implications. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1983.